by Mia Archer
No. I shouldn’t think that way. Sure I might abuse my position as the queen of Alternate Realms, but that abuse came solely in the form of accepting advances from girls, and the occasional developer, who threw themselves at me. I wasn’t going to try and force myself on some girl. Particularly when this was probably her first time at a big ARealms event, because I’m certain a girl like that with the fire in that look she just gave me would’ve made herself known if she’d ever been at the same event as me before.
I looked to Danielle and then Trevor. They both still had the bored smiles they always wore at these things. Maybe even more bored than usual since I’d taken extra time to search each camp circle for the girl. Neither one of them recognized the girl, though they’d been so busy picking up the pieces after getting blindsided earlier that I was pretty sure they hadn’t gotten a look anyways.
Time to get to work.
“I welcome you to the Fifth Annual International Alternate Realms Gathering!” I said. I hit the button on my phone and everyone’s phone lit up as they were hit with the blessing. A little bonus from the ARealms people to encourage gamers to get to the playing field in a timely manner. They hated registering people in the middle of the night.
“I hope that all of you have a good game, though not too good. I’d hate to think any of you out there were gunning for me,” I said with a smile and a laugh. Everyone around the campfire laughed, though it was a nervous laughter. A nervous laughter that made it pretty obvious word of this afternoon’s attack had already reached this camp.
Danielle and Trevor had worked far faster than I could’ve hoped. Sometimes I forgot they could be useful tools even if they weren’t terribly great at actually playing the game.
Speaking of. They were both turning to move on to the next camp. Well I had other plans. I needed to talk to that girl, even if it was only for a few moments. Even if there wasn’t a chance I was going to get all my questions answered. So I started making my way around the campfire, leaning down and exchanging a few words and a brief handshake with everyone around the fire.
There was murmuring. It was out of the ordinary. I knew it was out of the ordinary, but I didn’t care. I continued smiling until I reached the girl. She looked away, but I took her hand and leaned in close. Very close. So close that I could catch her scent. I wasn’t sure if that was perfume, her deoderant, or just her, but whatever it was it was fucking intoxicating. I found myself resisting the urge to do something unseemly like lean down and kiss her neck or maybe nibble on the ear that was so close to my mouth.
“It was you, wasn’t it?” I asked.
“So what if it was?” she whispered back.
“Why’d you do it?”
She pulled away and looked up at me and there was a defiant fire in her eyes. A challenge she was sending out to the world.
“Because everyone says you’re the best, and I need to prove that’s not true.”
“Really? And you think you’re the best?”
“I know I’m the best,” she said.
A chill ran down my spine at that. Her was a girl who was not only hot, but also confident. And to top it all of she’d proved in a very real way that confidence was completely justified. She’d managed to take out Trevor and Danielle right under my nose, after all.
“That’s not the only reason, you know,” she said just as I was about to pull away.
“Really? What else could there possibly be?”
The girl looked up at me and there was still a fire burning behind her eyes, but it was different now. It made my breath catch. It sent a fresh chill running down my spine that had nothing to do with her performance in the game and everything to do with how fucking hot she was and how she seemed to be able to grab me straight by the heart with a single look.
That look went straight to other parts of my anatomy as well. Particularly between my legs, if you catch my drift.
“I also wanted to get your attention,” she said with a raised eyebrow and a wink. Then she blushed as though she couldn’t believe she’d just said that and turned away from me again.
Like I said. Straight to my heart. Straight to other areas that were anything but straight. From the way she’d just hit on me so obviously, whispered and in the middle of a crowd of campers no less, she was less than straight. As though the short haircut wasn’t enough to give her away.
I wanted to spend more time at this campfire. I wanted to get to know her in every way possible, maybe have some of that pre-Gathering fun I’d been thinking about when I couldn’t be sure whether or not she walked my way. Only duty called. Trevor and Danielle were looking even more bored than usual as I made my way around the rest of the campfire and then off to the next one.
I glanced over my shoulder one final time as we left the camp, but she was gone. Pity. I really would’ve liked to see her one more time, though something told me we were going to be seeing plenty of each other once the Gathering started on the morrow. Potential Gathering dalliance aside, I felt like we were kindred spirits. I knew if I was in her place I wouldn’t rest until I was top player in the game.
I hadn’t rested until I was the top player in the game. The problem was no one else wanted to take a crack at that spot once I got it. Yeah, tomorrow was going to be very interesting.
Unfortunately the first thing the next day brought was a way too early morning, squeezing into a ridiculous “royal” dress that looked like it was from the same high school Shakespeare surplus collection as the dress from last night, and going out to lead the first caravan going into the play area.
So I was on top of my “chariot” which was actually a surplus farm trailer that had been done up to look way nicer than it actually was pulled by my “steed” which was just an intern for ARealms on a decidedly immersion-breaking ATV.
I guess they didn’t want to spring for real animals. That or they were worried about safety or something. I guess it would be bad PR and one hell of a lawsuit if a spooked animal ended up running off with me still in the back of this thing.
“I’m telling you we’re making a huge mistake,” Danielle said.
I kept the smile plastered on my face, still doing the royal Elizabeth II wave as I spoke out of the corner of my mouth. “I told you we’re doing this and that’s that.”
“They were nice and offered to take us to the castle ahead of time. They said we didn’t have to be under attack or anything. Now you’re leaving so late that we’re gonna get hit by someone for sure!” Trevor whined.
“I’ve been over all this with you. It’s only fair. We’re a faction. The other factions don’t get to go into the playing area early, so why should we get to go in early enough that no one has a chance of hitting us outside our stronghold? Doesn’t seem fair.”
“I like unfair,” Danielle said.
“You were fine with this plan yesterday,” I said.
“Yeah? That was before we got hit at a diner and I realized there were people out there who really are gunning for us! Well, gunning for you and taking us out in the process,” Danielle said.
Damn was it hard to keep the smile plastered on my face. Smiling like this hurt, for one. Mostly it was because I wanted to scream in frustration. These two really had gotten too used to living the life of luxury. Or at least as luxurious as life could get in this game. I wondered if anything was going to break them free of that way of thinking.
The truth was I’d decided to go into the playing area later than usual very much in the hopes that someone would take advantage of it and try to make a move on me. The game gave everyone a half hour window after play started on the first day. Everyone was immune to attack during that half hour. It was designed to give factions a head start getting to their area, but there were some factions whose home base was so deep in the playing area that they didn’t have a chance of getting there before they were susceptible to attack.
Like the royal faction. I was deliberately setting us up for a fall. A fall I didn’t think would actually c
ome considering how cowardly most of the factions were when it came to attacking me directly, but after the rumors that circulated yesterday I had high hopes that at least a few people might think it was open season on royals.
Then I could crush them underfoot and actually have some fun in this game for a change.
“You’re trying to get us killed, aren’t you?” Trevor asked. He eyed the entrance to the playing area that was getting closer and closer. We were surrounded on all sides by members of the royal guard. They were part of the royal faction, though technically they were loyal to the crown and not me in particular.
A technicality no one had ever bothered to try and exploit. There was no imagination in this game.
“So what if I am?” I asked. “The two of you could do with a little challenge.”
“There’s challenging and then there’s drawing out the assassin from yesterday,” Trevor said. We moved under the arch into the playing area and the people waving and cheering thinned out. On this side of the wall it was every person for themselves. Everyone was too busy playing the game to get too into pomp and circumstance.
“It starts,” Danielle said.
I really was hoping to draw out our friend. She’d challenged me directly last night, and I figured a girl like that would take the opportunity here, the big target I was painting on my back, and run with it. Was I maybe thinking with the brain between my legs hoping to meet that girl in pitched battle in the play area?
Perhaps, but it seemed like the only way I could get her attention. I smiled as I thought of her attempt to “get my attention” yesterday. It had certainly worked, and two could play at that game.
“What’s done is done,” I said. “We’ll be safe and sound in the boring old castle in no time. You two worry too much.”
“If you say so,” Danielle said. Her tone conveyed that she didn’t find my words too terribly comforting.
Whatever. I settled back on the slightly padded seat ARealms so helpfully provided and watched the scenery. Searched anyone passing us for a sign that it was that girl, though no attack ever came. Wherever she was, I had no doubt she was working up something especially crafty and devious to surprise me with. Yeah, that one was cold and calculating to go right along with her hotness.
8: Into the Field
“Come on Anna. Get the lead out! We’re going to be late!”
I shot an irritated glance to the tent entrance. Colin was crouched down there staring at me. I hated it when people stared at me when I was getting ready in the morning. Today’s outfit was simple enough. A dress suitable for a sorceress that I’d picked up in one of the shopping tents that sprang up around the edge of the event. It had plenty of pockets for storing things, and I was pretty sure I wouldn’t even have to bring my backpack.
“I don’t see what the big deal is,” I said as I applied the last of my makeup.
“And I don’t see why you’re putting on makeup to go out traipsing in the woods all day!”
I opened my mouth to shoot back a choice comment, and closed it. That was coming dangerously close to admitting to the conversation I had last night. To the crush I’d quickly developed on the queen after seeing her twice in person. If I explained to Colin that I was dressing up like this and getting myself pretty all because of the chance I might run into a girl then he’d laugh right before he smacked me upside the head for wasting time over something so stupid.
“Come on Anna. You know if we don’t leave soon we’re going to miss the thirty minute grace period. If we’re not getting with a faction then we need that if we’re going to hole up somewhere and survive!”
I sighed and tossed down my mascara.
“Colin, it’s already next to impossible to do this in the low light of this tent with only a small mirror to work on. It becomes even more impossible to do anything with you standing there shouting at me the entire time.”
“Your point?”
I grinned at him. “My point is this is happening no matter what, so you might as well pipe down and let me concentrate. The faster you do that the faster we get out of here.”
Colin sighed. “Fine.”
“Besides, you should know I have no intention of doing any hiding once we get in there.”
“You don’t?”
“Nope. Just you watch. I’m going to walk into the middle of the first faction we run across and take it over!”
Colin groaned. Normally I would’ve balked at his complete lack of faith in my abilities, but I suppose that was bragging just a little. Taking over an entire faction was a tall order, even if I had gotten lucky yesterday and survived an attack on the queen herself. There was a difference between attacking someone in a diner when they weren’t expecting it and waltzing into the middle of a faction prepared for battle and taking them out.
Still, I figured go big or go home. Colin was always griping about how I refused to pick a faction. I thought he’d be happy that I’d decided to take over a faction instead. It was sort of giving him what he wanted. In a roundabout sort of way.
Fifteen minutes later I was done and we were walking through the campgrounds towards the entrance. Off in the distance I could see the playing field clearly. It was marked by a massive fence that looked like it was made of stone, though as we got closer I could see that the “stone” was actually probably foam propped up on a wood fence.
“Damn,” Colin said.
“You can say that again. They really go all out for these things, don’t they?”
“I’m more impressed by the crowds. Would you look at that?”
It was a veritable sea of humanity moving towards several entrances. There was a big entrance where people were marching along a wide road. That looked to be the place for factions that organized ahead of time. Off to the west of that was a smaller entrance that Colin was angling us towards.
“Do we have to go to that entrance? The big wide one looks far more impressive,” I said. And it was. The people marching through there had matching uniforms or costumes or whatever was appropriate for their faction. I saw a group of bards walking past, and for a wonder they actually all carried instruments of one sort or another even though all their stuff would be done on the phone in-game and not in the real world. Talk about slaves to immersion.
Farther in the distance I made out a party that was far more interesting than a bunch of musicians. The royal party. Colin saw me staring and started pulling me in the other direction.
“Oh no you don’t,” he said. “No funny business today.”
“I wasn’t going to do any funny business! I just wanted to get a look at the queen!”
I blushed as I thought of my second run-in with queeny the night before. I still didn’t know what came over me talking to her like that. Not only had I pretty brazenly challenged her, but I’d also hit on her without even knowing if she was into girls. Though her reaction told me everything, and I was very much looking forward to seeing her again.
Though maybe not right now. Maybe not when she was surrounded by a bunch of guards and her friends who were probably on their guard after everything that happened yesterday. Yeah, I wanted to see queen Erin again, but on my terms.
“I’m sure you weren’t going to do anything funny, but we need to get into the playing field before our thirty minute grace period is up. It already started five minutes ago.”
I glanced down at my phone. Sure enough there was a countdown with the rest of the spell panels darkened behind it. I couldn’t access anything for another twenty-five minutes.
“Are you sure we have to go through that lame entrance and not the big cool one back there?”
“We have to go to the smaller entrance,” Colin said with a grin that didn’t look entirely pleasant. “The big entrance is for people who were part of a faction. If we’d joined the Thieves last night and went in with our friends then we’d be fine, but since we’re unaffiliated we have to go through the unaffiliated entrance.”
“Weird. Seems kinda screwed u
p that they’d separate people like that.”
“Well you can change that when they make you queen.”
“Sounds like a plan!”
“I’m not going to do or say anything to shake your confidence, am I?” Colin asked.
“After what I got away with yesterday? Probably not!”
“Just remember that you’re fighting against skilled players who know people are out to get them and not against a few people sitting in a diner who aren’t expecting any sort of attack,” Colin said.
I shook my head. Great minds think alike and all that. He was apprehensive about that, but I was looking forward to testing myself against players who were supposedly the best in the world. I linked my arm in his and grinned as we walked through the second-class-citizen entrance.
“Come on. Smile! We’re gonna have a grand time in here!”
Forty minutes later we weren’t having that much fun. At least I wasn’t having that much fun. Colin actually seemed to be in his element, strangely enough. I never thought his element would be traipsing through a woods that had varying levels of elevation that made it difficult to get very far without getting winded.
I really wished I’d spent more time at the gym before coming out here for the Gathering instead of just walking around the building a few times a day and figuring that would be more than enough to whip me into shape.
It wasn’t.
“I don’t know why we’re even going through these woods,” I said. “It’s not like we’re going to find anyone in here.”
“Easy. We’re in here because we’re not going to find anyone in here,” Colin said. “If you’re not going to join a faction then I figure this is our best chance to get our bearings.”
I rolled my eyes. I should’ve known he had an ulterior motive when he stopped complaining about my plan to take over a faction. Apparently that didn’t count as joining a faction as far as he was concerned.
I glanced at my phone every few seconds to make sure there weren’t any other players in the area. I had a spell up that would detect them out to about a hundred feet, but the GPS could be a little wonky in the woods. I saw what seemed like the echo of someone out there, but I couldn’t be sure. It was almost like there was someone out there running a stealth spell, and that had me excited. That meant there might be some fun worth having in the woods after all.